What is amplitude of a wave?

What is the amplitude of a wave?

Definition. Amplitude is the maximum

displacement of a wave from its rest

position. It shows how tall the wave is.

Explanation: Amplitude tells us how much

energy a wave carries. In transverse

waves like water or light, it's the

height from the middle rest line to the

crest or trough. In longitudinal waves

like sound, amplitude refers to how

compressed or rarified the particles

become. Greater amplitude means more

energy. For example, a louder sound or

brighter light has a higher amplitude.

Imagine, think of jumping on a

trampoline. A small jump creates a short

bounce low amplitude while a high jump

sends you flying high amplitude. The

energy in your jump decides the height.

Just like amplitude in waves, in simple

terms, amplitude is the wave strength,

how high the wave rises or how loud or

bright it feels. formula. There's no

single fixed formula for amplitude in

all cases, but it's typically measured

directly as amplitude equals maximum

displacement from the rest position in

meters. Key points. Amplitude is

measured from the rest position to the

crest or trough. Bigger amplitude equals

more energy. Affects loudness in sound

and brightness in light. Measured in

meters meter in SI units. does not

affect wavelength or speed only energy.

Examples: Turning up the volume

increases amplitude of sound waves. A

dim light has lower amplitude than a

bright one. Ocean waves during a storm

have high amplitude. A whisper has a low

amplitude sound wave. Applications.

Audio systems. Controlling sound volume.

Lighting. Adjusting brightness in bulbs

or screens. Weather science. Measuring

wave energy in oceans. Microphones

capturing sound wave amplitudes medical

scans using wave amplitude in EEGs and

ultrasounds. Question if you double a

wave's amplitude what happens to its

energy? Answer the energy becomes for

times greater because energy is

proportional to the square of the

amplitude.